Method for the user-initiated automatic subscription

ABSTRACT

The inventive method enables existing contracts between a user and a telecommunications network operator to be enlarged by a user dialling into a customer subscription and administration server (CSAS). The access procedure of the existing contract relation is used for authenticating the user. The subscription of new contract components, such as clearing of a new terminal for instance that has been purchased by dispatch is carried out in a menu-controlled manner and by means of instruction texts and tactile inputs. The aim of the invention is to authenticate the calling user, authorise the additional contracts, changes and services which can be subscribed and administered by the corresponding user and store newly subscribed or changed contracts and services. The CSAS is connected to the corresponding data bases of the telecommunications network, such as CCBS, CDB and HLR. IP dialling options are optionally provided by means of the telecommunications network and/or the public internet. The inventive method, inter alia and especially, optimises procurement of a second or third appliance for family members or to be used as a pool appliance in small enterprises. Personal appearance at the POS involving passport control and the complicated procedures for setting up and verifying a contract can thus be avoided in the future.

[0001] The invention relates to a method for the subscriber-initiatedautomatic subscription and modification of signed subscriptioncontracts, for the administration of existing services as well as forthe enabling of end apparatus in telecommunication networks, for examplecellular mobile communication networks, for at least owners of cellularsystem subscription accounts based on access data already available atthe network and subscriber ends, such as subscriber call number andaccess codes. The current method for enabling a subscriber device incellular mobile communication networks, for example in a GSM network,takes place as described in the following. FIG. 1 serves forillustrating the sequence. A customer concludes at a vendor's location(point of sale POS) a contract regarding the type, duration and paymentof a subscriber contract with a mobile communication network operator(so-called mobile phone contract).

[0002] According to legal requirements in this connection an identitycheck is carried out after the personal identity card or the like hasbeen presented. As a rule, this takes place at the time the contract isconcluded. The end apparatus/mobile phone (to the extent such has beenagreed) the customer takes home directly. However, as a rule, he cannotmake a telephone call immediately.

[0003] From the point of sale (POS) the contract is conveyed to themobile communication network operator. This is carried out in variousways, such as delivery by postal service, via Fax, Internet, Datex-P orthe like. As the next step the contract is examined in the customer carearea (CC) of the mobile communication network operator. Herein alreadyexisting signed contracts, misuse which might potentially have occurred,as well as the credit worthiness (solvency and payment ethics) of thepotential customer are checked through optional access to an externalcredit worthiness data base (Schufa or the like). If the result ispositive (no contract rejection), the required salient customerinformation (all identifying data required for the contractrelationship) are created in the customer data base (KDB) of thecustomer care and billing system (CCBS).

[0004] The subscribed service is subsequently enabled and, as a rule,the customer receives a welcoming letter with user information.

[0005] The customer (GSM subscriber, subscriber S. S.) can now, in fact,use his new mobile telephone. A unique assignment of his subscriber callnumber (MSISDN) to the existing contractual subscription exists therein.

[0006] Most often there is an additional protection for the customer toprevent unauthorized use in the event the mobile phone is lost, which isof such type that the customer receives an additional code word which isrequired for switching on the end apparatus (personal identificationnumber PIN). In the event the PIN is lost, the user is most frequentlyadditionally given a further PIN, the co-called PUK (PIN Unblocking Key)for activating special network services. The latter is usually comprisedof several characters and is not required for normal operation. Itshould be archived at the subscriber's end at a protected location incase it is needed. Each time a call is set up (or when the apparatus isswitched on), the identifiers which are stored on the cell phone card(Subscriber Identification Module SIM) are verified against the input ofthe user and subsequently checked against the corresponding data in theGSM network. Herein the network refers back to the CCBS and the KDB. Toaccelerate the procedure, a portion of the network data are usuallystored in the Home Location Register (HLR). If the subscriber has nottransferred the mobile phone and PIN, identifying the end apparatus aswell as the subscriber is thus possible with each call.

[0007] In this approach a two-stage identification and credit worthinesscheck is required when the contract is concluded and checked. However,it entails time-consuming and cost-intensive manual activities and thusleads to considerable disadvantages for all involved. The customer mustbe personally present at the POS, the sales personnel requires time forexpensive and complicated discussions and carries out an identificationcard check. The CC process is also burdened with considerable expenseand complexity.

[0008] In principle, there is no differentiation between whether or notthe customer already has a signed subscription contract with the mobilecommunication network operator.

[0009] However, the potential for optimization is here given in theevent a corresponding customer subscription already exists. In thiscase, all requirements for FüV [sic] and the credit worthiness check arealready met and, in principle, verification of past payment ethics withthe creation of the additional data sets in the customer data base aresufficient.

[0010] The present invention addresses the problem of providing a methodon the basis of which a largely automated subscription and enablingtogether with determination of identity and credit worthiness check ofadditional end apparatus/services for owners of existing subscriptionaccounts of cellular mobile communication networks is realized.

[0011] This problem is solved through the characterizing characteristicsof patent claim 1.

[0012] The method according to the invention will be explained in thefollowing with reference to FIG. 2.

[0013] An existing customer (subscriber Sbs) of a cellular GSM mobilecommunication network, whose customer data are already stored in the KDB(5) of the mobile communication network, wishes to conclude anadditional subscription contract or requires a further end apparatus.The reasons for this are manifold, for example motor vehicle or boatinstallation of a second apparatus, temporary utilization by familymembers, the use as pool apparatus in small enterprises, etc.

[0014] The customer is already in possession of the end apparatus MS1(1).

[0015] He has obtained the end apparatus MS2 (6) by mail order, byfreely purchasing such or the like.

[0016] Using the end apparatus MS1 as well as the access data, which arepartially stored in the SIM and partially at the network end, a dialingprocedure is executed in the process of which a connection through theGSM network (2) into (3) [sic] is established. This ensures that theidentity of the customer is sufficiently known based on the methodscustomary in the GSM field.

[0017] As a further step, the enabling of the newly acquired endapparatus, together with the new card, takes place wherein inter aliavoice control or also other input methods and means are applied. Duringthe procedure, after prompting by the network end Customer Subscriptionand Administration Server (CSAS), the identifying data of the secondapparatus, such as MSISDN, PIN, PUK or the like are called up, whereinit is possible to apply different input methods and media, inter aliaalso keyboards. After entering the corresponding values listed above,the type of the contract, its duration and further contract parameterscan be selected with the help of menus.

[0018] An alphanumeric name, optionally assigned to the secondapparatus, such as for example wife, son, apparatus 2, customer serviceand the like, serves for the simple subsequent differentiation of theaccrued costs on the call charging bill.

[0019] The C-Server is connected with the CCBS (4) for the automaticverification of the contractual subscription. An optional additionalparameter in the customer data base (5) regulates at the networkoperator's end the validity of the customer end subscriptions andadministrations, as in this case. On this basis, the CSAS, ifappropriate, detects that a desired additional contractual subscriptionis not possible. In the last mentioned case a corresponding message isoutput with reference to the CC call number.

[0020] After the subscription process has been completed andacknowledged at the subscriber end, the automatic creation of theadditional customer data in the customer data base of the CCBS takesplace as well as, if needed, in further network devices. Once this isalso completed, the new card is automatically enabled and the customercan directly communicate with his second apparatus (6) utilizing theassociated new card.

[0021] Confirmation of the contract expansion by postal service oroptionally fax delivery takes place. Completion of the subscription oradministration via the Internet to the CAS should optionally also beprovided.

DRAWINGS AND ATTACHMENTS

[0022]FIG. 1 Conventional method for subscriber enabling in the area ofmobile communication,

[0023]FIG. 2 subscriber-initiated optimized automatic enabling methodfor existing customers.

ABBREVIATIONS

[0024] CSAS Customer Subscription and Administration Server

[0025] GSM Global System for Mobile Communications

[0026] HLR Home Location Register

[0027] IP Internet Protocol

[0028] ISDN Integrated Services Digital Network

[0029] MS Mobile Station

[0030] MSISDN Mobile Station ISDN

[0031] PIN Personal Identification Number

[0032] PUK Pin Unblocking Key

[0033] SIM Subscriber Identification Module

[0034] Tln>Sbs Subscriber

1. Method for the subscriber-initiated automatic subscription andmodification of contractual subscriptions, for the administration ofexisting services as well as for the enabling of end apparatus intelecommunication networks, for example cellular mobile communicationnetworks, for at least owners of existing subscription accounts, basedon contract and access data, such as subscriber call number and accesscodes, already available at the network and subscriber end,characterized in that the enabling of additional SIM cards and/or endapparatus for existing subscribers with already available signedsubscription contracts is automated.
 2. Method as claimed in claim 1,characterized in that the existing contract and access data stored atthe network end are expanded in an automatic method after subscriberdialing into a corresponding subscription device (Customer Subscriptionand Administration Server CSAS) by the identifying data of the newcontract components.
 3. Method as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterizedin that for the subscriber CSAS access the access mechanisms of theexisting subscription contract (available SIM card and/or end apparatuswith MSISDN and PIN) are utilized as subscriber identification and theidentifying data of the new contractual subscription (MSISDN, PIN, PUK,etc.) takes place [sic] for the expansion of the existing subscriptioncontract.
 4. Method as claimed in at least one of the preceding claims 1to 3, characterized in that for the expansion of the existing contractdata by the identifying data of the new contractual subscription, amenu-driven user guidance through the CSAS takes place, with the inputof the data taking place by means of known input techniques (tactile, byacoustic signal, by infrared signal and the like) and the user guidancetakes place utilizing known technical output means (visual display,voice output and the like).
 5. Method as claimed in at least one of thepreceding claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the CSAS for theauthentication of the calling subscriber, for theauthorization/verification of the addition contracts, modifications andservices, which can be subscribed by the particular subscriber andadministered, as well as for storing newly subscribed or modifiedcontracts and services, is connected with the corresponding data basesof the telecommunication network, such as for example CCBS, KDB and HLR.6. Method as claimed in at least one of the preceding claims 1 to 5,characterized in that the CSAS access takes place via the InternetProtocol and graphic user interfaces, wherein the access takes place viathe particular telecommunication network utilizing the availablenetwork-specific access and authentication procedures as well asoptionally additional protection mechanisms such as one-time password,etc.
 7. Method as claimed in at least one of claims 1 to 6,characterized in that in an alternative realization method the CSASaccess takes place optionally with the use of Internet Protocol andgraphic user interface via the public Internet, wherein, due to theabsence of network-specific access and authentication procedures, thesubscriber authentication takes place in substitution by means ofadditional access rights, which are provided especially for such casesbetween subscriber and telecommunication network operator (access code,one-time passwords, etc.).
 8. Method as claimed in at least one ofclaims 1 to 7, characterized in that the KDB of the telecommunicationnetwork is optionally expanded by the necessary data sets, which arerequired for the control of the user-initiated automatic subscriptionand administration processes (ASA), such as for example prohibition ofthe ASA, extent, limits, etc. as well as internal parameters.,identifying credit worthiness, etc. of the network operator.
 9. Methodas claimed in at least one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in thatoptionally alphanumeric alias names for additional SIM cards/endapparatus can be defined, which, inter alia, serve for apparatusidentification and transparency of the telephone bill.